Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/357

Rh Vorsilka, —I know my time is near at hand, for I dreamed last night that George came for me,—when I die do not forget to tell it to the bees, so that they shall not die out! The others might forget." Grandmother knew that Vorsa would do it; for the others did not believe as she did and, therefore, might neglect to do it in time, even though they were willing to fulfill all her wishes.

Towards evening of the day following the children's return, Grandmother was quietly passing away. Barunka read to her the prayer of the dying, she repeating the words after her. Suddenly the lips ceased to move, the eye was fixed upon the crucifix hanging over the bed, the breathing stopped. The flame of life went out like a lamp in which the oil has been consumed.

Barunka closed her eyes. Christina opened the window "so that the soul might have freedom to fly away." Vorsa, not delaying among the weeping, hastened to the hive which the miller had set up for Grandmother some years before, and rapping upon it called three times: "Bees, bees, our Grandmother is dead!" and then she sat down upon the bench under the lilacs and sobbed aloud. The miller went to Zernov, to have the bell tolled. He himself offered to do this service; he felt oppressed in the house; he wanted to go outside so that he could weep and ease his grief. "I missed Victorka; how, then, can I forget Grandmother!" he said on the way. When the tolling of the bell was heard, announcing to the people that Grandmother was no more, the whole neighborhood wept.

"The third day, when the funeral procession,